


Baby Mine (Don't You Cry)

by SpideyFics



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Childbirth, F/M, MJ and Peter are Grown-Ups, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker is a Good Dad, Unplanned home birth, non-graphic childbirth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22745503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpideyFics/pseuds/SpideyFics
Summary: “Peter?”Peter looked up from the post-patrol peanut butter and jelly sandwich he was in the middle of assembling, his Spider-Man suit rolled down to his hips, an ice-pack strapped to his left shoulder, and a breadstick shoved in the corner of his mouth like a cigar. “Huh?” he mumbled around the breadstick as he turned to look for his wife.MJ stood in the living room doorway, one hand cradling her distended belly, the other in the small of her back, a not-uncommon sight in the last couple months of her pregnancy. She was wearing short shorts and a tank top that didn’t quite cover her bump, with one of his old shirts thrown over the top and left unbuttoned, and he’d never been more attracted to her. “I’m going to need you to not freak out.”He propped the knife in the peanut butter jar and wiped his hands on a dishcloth, dropping the breadstick to the countertop, where it shattered into shards of carbs. “Em, what’s wrong?”
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & May Parker (Spider-Man), Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 35
Kudos: 298
Collections: Peter Parker is a Good Dad





	Baby Mine (Don't You Cry)

**Author's Note:**

> I started this yesterday in the hopes that I could get it finished in time for Valentine's day, but nope.
> 
> This hasn't had a beta, so all mistakes are mine.

“Peter?”

Peter looked up from the post-patrol peanut butter and jelly sandwich he was in the middle of assembling, his Spider-Man suit rolled down to his hips, an ice-pack strapped to his left shoulder, and a breadstick shoved in the corner of his mouth like a cigar. “Huh?” he mumbled around the breadstick as he turned to look for his wife.

MJ stood in the living room doorway, one hand cradling her distended belly, the other in the small of her back, a not-uncommon sight in the last couple months of her pregnancy. She was wearing short shorts and a tank top that didn’t quite cover her bump, with one of his old shirts thrown over the top and left unbuttoned, and he’d never been more attracted to her. “I’m going to need you to not freak out.”

He propped the knife in the peanut butter jar and wiped his hands on a dishcloth, dropping the breadstick to the countertop, where it shattered into shards of carbs. “Em, what’s wrong?”

Her expression suddenly tightened, eyes closing and lips thinning as she bent at the knees, folding in over her bump. She hummed, long and low, bracing herself against door frame as she slowly sank down into a squat, her phone clutched in her hand.

Peter moved faster than he ever had before, crossing the room to her side in what felt like a heartbeat, catching at her free hand and wrapping his arm around her back as the pitch of her hum changed into a guttural moan. “Is the baby – is it time? Like, _time_ time? This isn’t Braxton Hicks?”

MJ straightened up, letting go of the door frame but not his hand, pushing her hair back from her face with her forearm. “It’s either labor or I just wet myself. And I know my bladder control hasn’t been the best recently, but this feels different.”

Peter looked down to see a little puddle of fluid forming between MJ’s feet, a slow trickle running down her leg, and he dropped smack bang into panic mode, scooping her up into his arms in a bridal carry. “We need to get to the birthing center,” he said, internally wincing at the wobble in his voice.

“You’re going to carry me all the way there?” MJ asked him, raising an eyebrow. “Put me down, I can walk. And we don’t have to rush, I spoke to a midwife there and she said we should go in when the contractions consistently last forty-five seconds and are four minutes apart for an hour, and it’s only been fifteen minutes.” She flashed her phone screen at him, displaying an app with one stopwatch at fifteen minutes and counting, another ticking over into two minutes, and the other reset to zero, awaiting her next contraction. “And I told you not to freak out.”

He gently placed her back on her feet but kept a hand in the small of her back, in awe of how calm she was. “Are you in a lot of pain? Should I get you a heat pad or something?”

“I feel fine between contractions, it’s so weird. It goes from one of the most painful things I’ve ever felt to literally nothing other than a slight ache.”

“When did it start? You should have called me back from patrol,” Peter said, as MJ shoved her phone into his hand and started to pace the living room, leaving him hovering anxiously by her side.

“I’ve been having contractions on and off since this afternoon but they really only stepped up about two hours ago. I didn’t see the point in calling you when I knew you were busy, and I was fine. I’d have called you if my waters had broken, but you were here for that, so just relax.”

She abruptly gripped at his arm, her face taking on that far-away look, like she was disappearing inside herself, and he realized that meant the start of another contraction so he hit stop on the second timer and start on the third.

MJ began to hum again and he stood in front of her, letting her hold onto his shoulders as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. He slipped his hands around her upper back and she dropped her head against his chest as the hum turned into protracted moan, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

He fought off the panicked sensation that was starting to fog his brain and encircle his lungs, focusing his attention solely on MJ and her needs. He hated seeing her in pain, pain he couldn’t do anything to relieve, but he couldn’t fall apart on her – she needed him to be steady and calm, not a total mess.

Forty-five minutes later, Peter was ready to sweep MJ off her feet again and insist they go to the birthing center. The contractions were less than two minutes apart and lasting ninety seconds, and MJ was focused entirely inwards and seemed practically catatonic, her arms looped loosely around his neck as he swayed with her. The humming and moaning had been replaced with a constant, quiet keening, interspersed with small gasps, and she was sweating profusely.

The terror he’d felt less than an hour ago seemed to have increased tenfold. He’d never been around anyone in labor, but it seemed like things were happening too fast, as though she’d skipped right to active labor, and he just wanted to get to the birthing center and have someone official say that everything was OK and take charge.

“Em, honey?” he said, and she didn’t respond, her eyes screwed shut as she was gripped by another contraction. “MJ, we need to go, OK? Can you walk or do you need me to carry you to the car?”

“Don’t. Call. Me. HONEY,” she growled, managing to push him away and pull him towards her all at the same time. “I’ll – I’ll – walk, I’ll walk.” Even as she said it she dropped down into a wide-stanced squat, suddenly going silent even as her face flushed, taking a deep breath and visibly bearing down.

“Nononono, don’t push, not yet,” Peter begged as she tried her best to crush his hands. “Come on, we need to get to the car.”

“Shut. UP,” she hissed. “Shut up. Just – just – _Peter,_ it’s coming now, I can feel it. I’ve got to push.” With another deep breath she was pushing down again, and Peter managed to sneak a hand free to pull his phone out of his back pocket.

“KAREN, call May,” he said desperately, taking over from MJ’s clumsy, scrabbling fingers and sliding her sodden shorts down her legs as the sound of KAREN phoning his aunt came from the phone’s loudspeaker. “Pick up, please pick up,” he whispered like a mantra, fully aware that it was three am and May was likely asleep.

She picked up on the fifth ring, and she apparently possessed some kind of miraculous aunt sixth sense that MJ was in labor, because she opened with “I’ll be there in five minutes baby, I’ll stay on the line with you. MJ, how are you holding up, sweetie?”

MJ couldn’t answer, too focused on breathing through her contractions, which seemed to be unrelenting now, a new one starting before the previous one had even finished.

May became muffled for a moment as she pulled the phone away from her ear to tell Happy to call for an ambulance. “MJ, I’m going to need you to pant instead of pushing, alright? Pant, pant, blow – Peter, do it with her, like this.” She demonstrated the breathing and Peter echoed it, encouraging MJ to do the same. “That’s great, you two. Now MJ, lie down on your back for me, and Peter, I need you to look between MJ’s legs and tell me what you see.”

Oh, _God._ “May, the head’s there, I can see the top of the baby’s head, what do I do?” Suddenly pant-pant-blow wasn’t just an act of encouragement for his wife – it was the only thing stopping him from passing out from sheer overwhelming nerves.

“Peter, go wash your hands and grab some towels, alright? Turn up the heat, too. MJ, listen to me - we’re going to breathe together until he’s back.” May’s calmness was settling both of them, MJ falling into a regular pattern of breathing and Peter dashing to the kitchen sink to scrub his hands before grabbing a stack of clean dishcloths from the drawer.

“May, what now?” he said, rushing back to MJ.

“MJ, this will be easier if you squat or go onto all fours, whatever feels most comfortable for you. Peter, pile up some towels between MJ’s legs.”

Peter helped MJ move into a squat, her upper body supported by the couch. Her breath was coming in harsh pants, and her fingers dug into the couch cushions.

“Peter, you’re going support the baby’s head with your hand so it doesn’t come out in a rush. MJ, with the next contraction, I need you take a deep breath then as you breathe out, gently push, almost like a little nudge, for about six seconds, and then pant through the rest of the contraction, we’re going to take this nice and slow. Just listen to your body and don’t be scared, you got this.”

Peter knelt in front of MJ and cupped his hand over the baby’s head as MJ began to push again, the head emerging further with each contraction and then Peter was suddenly cradling a tiny, down-covered head in the palm of his hand. “May, the head is turning to the side, is that normal?” he asked as May talked him through wiping the baby’s mouth and nose and checking that the cord wasn’t around its neck. 

“Completely normal. Now, one shoulder is going to come out first, then the other, and then that baby is going to slip right out, so you need to support them with a hand under their head and then one under their butt. You might want to drape a towel over your hands, the baby is going to be slippery.”

Peter did as May said, and even though she’d told him the baby would just slip out once the shoulders had been born, it still surprised him how quickly he was holding a screaming baby in his hands, MJ letting out a shuddering moan as the baby left her body, collapsing back against the couch in relief.

The baby was covered in blood and crud and looked kind of gross but it was still the most beautiful thing Peter had ever seen, and he didn’t even care if it was a girl or a boy. They had a _baby._

MJ held her arms out for their child, and Peter passed them up between her legs to rest against her chest just as May burst through the front door, Happy hot on her heels. As soon as Happy saw the scene before him, he blanched and disappeared back outside to wait for the paramedics.

May dropped onto the couch behind MJ and stroked her sweaty hair. “You clever girl,” she said, dropping a kiss on her head. “You did it.”

MJ looked down at the child in her arms, lifting the towel she’d been using to rub the baby with. “It’s a boy,” she said, her voice raw with a mixture of joy and disbelief. “We have a son.” She tugged down the front of her tank top so the baby was against her skin.

Peter sat next to her, uncaring of the fluid and blood all over the floor, and leaned in to look at the squalling purple-red face of his son, suddenly realizing that he’d been the very first person to hold him after his entry into the world. Not a midwife, not a doctor – just him. “Hi baby boy, I’m your daddy,” he whispered, utterly entranced by his son’s big, dark, unfocused eyes and how his surprisingly long fingers grasped at thin air as he instinctively latched on to MJ’s breast, May showing her how to comfortably position their son.

The arrival of the paramedic crew was marked by light strobing through their living room window, painting the walls blue, and MJ looked at Peter with sudden panic. “Your suit,” she hissed at him, and he glanced down to realize that he was wearing the Spider-Man suit. He stood and stripped down to his boxers, turning the suit inside out and throwing it behind the couch just as the paramedics entered the room.

A whirl of activity followed as the paramedics checked MJ and the baby over and delivered the placenta, finally cutting the cord that had sustained him for almost nine months. They were both declared fit and well, with no need to go to hospital, and told to schedule a visit from the midwife in the morning, and then the paramedics were gone just as suddenly as they’d arrived.

MJ was left trembling, wrapped up in blankets on the couch with the baby tucked against her chest. “I can’t process what just happened,” she said, looking down at the little bundle of life in her arms. “So much for my birth plan.”

May returned from seeing the paramedic crew off, and leaned over the back of the couch, staring lovingly at her very first grandchild. “I sent Happy home, he says congratulations and he’ll be back to meet the baby when he’s had a bath.” She reached down and stroked a gentle fingertip across the baby’s head. “Does this cute little guy have a name?”

“Noah,” MJ said, before looking up at Peter, her face soft with absolute love. “Noah Benjamin Parker.”

May burst into loud, messy tears, and Peter pulled her into a hug, letting her cry against his shoulder.

“I wish he was here,” she sobbed. “He’d be so proud of you both.”

Peter, who had been crying steadily since Ben had slipped into his hands, curled into his aunt like he was a child again, rather than a twenty-five-year-old father. “I miss him so much,” he whispered through his tears. “That’s why we wanted Noah to have Ben’s name, to make him part of his life.”

May pulled back and cradled his face in her hands, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. “Baby, Ben will always be a part of his life, because _you_ are.” She laughed, wiping her own tears against her shoulder. “Guess I should stop calling you ‘baby’ now that you have one of your own.”

“He’s the biggest baby I know,” MJ said, her fond tone taking the sting from her words. “May, thank you. I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. What’s the point of having a mother-in-law who is a certified nurse midwife that lives two blocks away if she can’t help you deliver your baby?” She let Peter go, then walked over to MJ. “How about I help you get cleaned up, huh? You’ll feel better once you’re in some clean clothes and tucked up in bed.”

MJ stood, Noah cradled in her arms, and winced as she straightened up. “Get over here and hold your son, Parker,” she said. She was pale and shaky, but utterly beautiful.

He gingerly took the baby from her, settling his son against his bare chest before sitting on the couch, May draping a blanket over the two of them. Noah scrunched up his eyes and snuffled, his little nose twitching, and Peter pressed his cheek to the top of his head, completely and overwhelmingly in love.

He looked up to find MJ and May watching him, matching soft, loving expressions on their faces. “What?” he said, a little self-consciously, instinctively soothing Noah as he stirred, letting out a little mewl.

“It suits you,” May said, tucking her fingers under his chin and tilting his head back so she could kiss his forehead. “Lucky baby, having you and MJ as his parents.” She picked his phone up off the coffee table and pressed it into his hand. “Why don’t you see if you can wake Tony up and introduce him to Noah.”

Peter had a little moment of panic at being left alone with the baby as MJ shuffled from the room, her arm tucked through May’s, but he pushed it away, knowing it was irrational. He was a dad now, with a son to look after.

He started a video call to Tony, positioning the phone so Noah couldn’t be seen by the camera.

Tony answered within a couple of rings. “Kid? Everything OK? FRIDAY said you got home from patrol just after midnight. How’s the shoulder?” He was dimly lit by the light from his phone, his face smushed against a bed pillow and the room behind him shrouded in darkness.

In all the excitement, Peter had completely forgotten the blow he’d taken on patrol, and it was well on its way to healing. “Yeah, it’s fine thanks. I just called to introduce you to someone.” He angled the camera down until Noah could be seen.

Tony sat bolt upright. “The baby’s here?” He reached behind him, blindly searching for Pepper. “Pep, wake up.”

“The baby’s here,” Peter confirmed, shifting Noah so Tony could see more of his face. “Noah Benjamin, born at three twenty am. Oh, hey Pepper.” Pepper waved sleepily at him over Tony’s shoulder, clearly not fully awake.

“Three twenty? As in an hour ago? But you’re at home,” Tony said, turning a light on. Pepper squinted behind him, then her mouth dropped open.

“The baby arrived?” she said, leaning closer to the screen. “Oh, look at that little sweetheart.”

“I delivered him,” Peter said, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. “MJ had a really fast delivery - May said it was something called precipitous labor - and we didn’t have time to get to the birthing center.” He looked down as Noah stirred against his chest, little mouth frantically trying to latch on to his nipple. “Uh – I think Noah needs his mom. Sorry to wake you up so early, but I thought you’d want to know right away.”

“It’s fine, Pete. Congratulations on joining the Dad Club.”

“I’ll call you once the midwife has been, if you want to come over and meet Noah?” Peter said, as Noah started to whimper, his lips pursing.

“Let your family meet him first, kid. We can wait.”

“You _are_ family,” Peter told him. “Noah wants to meet Grandpa Tony, Grandma Pepper and Aunt Morgan.”

Tony made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked-off sob, then cleared his throat. “Uh, sure. Yeah. Just let us know and we’ll come visit. Look after that wife and baby of yours, Pete.”

Phone call over, Peter carefully stood, bouncing on the spot as Noah started to cry, a thin, weedy little wail that broke his heart. “Ssssh, baby boy, are you hungry? Let’s go find Mommy, OK?”

MJ was propped up in bed, still looking exhausted, but not as drained as she had earlier. Peter awkwardly transferred Noah into her arms and watched as she lifted up her shirt and guided him onto her breast, his cries instantly stopping as he began to suckle.

May kissed all three of them, then headed off to catch a few hours sleep in the spare room, telling them to call her if they needed anything.

MJ patted the bed, flipping the bedclothes back. “Don’t just stand there, get in here.”

He dropped his robe at the end of the bed and climbed in next to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders and lightly stroking her arm, utterly transfixed by the sight of her feeding their son. He kissed the shoulder closest to him, his free hand arranging the blankets around Noah, who was still naked except for a diaper. “I love you,” he said. “You’re amazing. He’s amazing.”

She laughed, then screwed up her face in discomfort as Noah sucked particularly hard. “You were pretty amazing yourself.”

They watched Noah feed, their contented silence broken only by the little snuffling sounds the baby made.

“Peter?” MJ said after a while, when Noah had gone limp in her arms, his lips in a little pout.

“Yeah?” He turned to look at her, smiling when she leaned in to kiss him.

“Happy Valentine’s Day. I forgot to get you a gift but a baby counts, right?” She placed Noah in his arms then snuggled in against his side, her head tucked against his bicep. “I can’t believe he’s here,” she yawned. “It’s so surreal.” She was asleep before he could answer her, relaxing completely against him.

He guessed he should probably put Noah in the Moses basket next to the bed and try and get some sleep himself, but he was wide awake and content to just hold their baby, obsessively studying his face. He traced the delicate shell of his ear and stroked his soft, downy cheek, in complete awe of the tiny little person he’d made with MJ.

When he’d found out that MJ was pregnant, he’d been terrified, convinced that he wouldn’t be a good dad, but now he was holding their child in his arms, he wondered why he’d been so worried.

Loving Noah felt as natural as breathing – it was like his whole life had been leading up to this moment, and Noah had filled a gap he hadn’t even been aware of. The very minute Noah had arrived in the world, Peter had felt something click into place, a deep, all-consuming love that seemed to be coded in his very DNA.

He now knew why May and Tony had spent the last decade in a state of constant stress. He wasn’t genetically related to either of them, but he knew that wasn’t important – he was their kid in every way that mattered. The idea of Noah experiencing even a fraction of what he’d been through made his heart ache.

He wanted to protect Noah from every bad thing in the world.

He didn’t know who Noah would grow up to be, who he’d love or where he’d go in the world, but he knew one thing for sure.

Peter would be right there with him.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never been pregnant or given birth, so any inaccuracies are on me.
> 
> I have two friends who have had precipitous labour, and they went from contractions every four minutes to giving birth an hour later - they both said they were in shock for a couple of days afterwards, because it escalated so quickly they weren't mentally prepared.
> 
> I have tagged for Tony, but he was tired so it's pretty much a cameo appearance. 
> 
> I got to cuddle a very cute newborn today - he's called Noah, so that's why I went with that name for baby Parker.


End file.
